Boxall and Evans on the mark to earn key draw for Fareham

FAREHAM earned a valuable point at home against high-flying Old Georgians in National League conference west.
James Evans scored for FarehamJames Evans scored for Fareham
James Evans scored for Fareham

The 2-2 draw moves them out of the relegation spots and up to eighth position on superior goal difference ahead of Isca, one point behind seventh-placed Chichester.

Fareham coach Ben Barnes is pleased the team have carried on their good form.

He said: ‘It was another good performance by the team.

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‘We certainly deserved at least a point from this game against strong opposition and created plenty of chances to score which is good.

‘The result keeps the momentum and confidence in our play we have created since January.

‘We now have to look ahead to our game against Bristol University which is a must-win game for us to avoid relegation because we only two games left and with three teams in the table within one point of each other.’

Fareham started well and took the lead after 11 minutes when Alex Boxall managed to deflect the ball into the goal from a Rob Wilson cross.

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Shortly afterwards Fareham should have increased their lead when James Seager picked up the ball in the D after a long pass from Jamie Rawlings.

Seager beat the defender to the ball and went around the keeper.

But he managed to put his shot the wrong side of the post at a tight angle with an empty goal.

Old Georgians forced a number of saves from George Harris in the Fareham goal.

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On 27 minutes Old Georgians scored the equaliser directly from a penalty corner through Andrew O’Sullivan through a low hard shot into the left corner of the net.

The scores remained level at half-time.

Nine minutes into the second half James Evans was on hand for Fareham to take the lead once more after a fine move and a well-placed shot.

As the game moved into the last 10 minutes it began to look as if Fareham could hold on for the win until 63 minutes when former Olympian James Tindall, who had been kept quiet for most of the game by the Fareham defence, managed to take his chance to score when the ball fell free to him in the D to level the scores.

The last seven minutes then proved to be frenetic with both sides pushing for the win.

Fareham put a shot from a penalty corner over the bar and George Harris had to make saves right to end to maintain 2-2 score.